Oil burner



maichzo, 1956 P. MONASTESSE 2,738,836

OIL BURNER Filed NOV. 4, 1952 Paw Z Mamas zesse ATTORNEY$ 2,738,836 OIL BURNER Paul Monastesse, Montreal,1Quebec, Canada, assignor to Y 1 John J. Link, Fairfield, Conn.

Application November 4, 1952,.Serial No. 318,578

" 1 13 Claims. (Cl. 158.76)

This invention relates to air duct :systerns for oil burners of the type having a blast tube extending horizontally into the ashpit of a furnace.

Usually the blast tube is connected directly to a unit including a blower, an electric motor and control mechanism located near the floor'level and directly in front of the furnace which is usually'located in the cellar or below ground level.

In many localities where the run-off is poor, during heavy rainstorms cellars of homes are flooded and the motor and control mechanism of oil burners are damaged by the water. i

An object of the present invention is to provide a conversion air duct system for such oil burners whereby the motor and electrical controls maybe elevated substantially above the floor level, thus avoiding damage to the same except when the rise of water in the cellar is abnormally high.

For this purpose, the present invention provides a supplementary air duct system which may be attached to the blasttube already installed and which will permit the mounting of the motor and control unit substantially above the level of the cellar floor.

a United States P i o The system, accordingto the present invention, includes essentially an elbow which is c'onnectible to the blast tube, and air conducting means leading tothe blower, the motor and the control unit. This air duct means may include a single air pipe connectible to the elbow and to the motor and control unit. extending upwardly and laterally away from the elbow or it may include an air pipe extending horizontally laterally from the elbow, another elbow, and another air pipe extending vertically tothe motor and control unit.

In addition to serving to carry air to the furnace, the blast tube also carries Within it ignition wires. These ignition Wires lead from the control unit to the blast tube, and, according to the present invention, are carried through the supplementary air system.

To permit the threading of the ignition wires through the air system of the present invention and around the angle formed by the elbow, the latter is made in two partsone part including pipe receiving collars and havinga substantial opening in axial alignment with both collars, andthe otherqpart including acover plate for closing the opening. t

Y: The blast tu'be also carries the fuel line and, in many cases, also the nozzle. To facilitate the conversioncontemplated by the present inventiomthe elbow which conne'ct's with the blast tube is provided with an open ended slot through which the fuel pipe or a fitting for thesame may be passed. Preferably, according to, the present invention, this slot communicates with the access opening in the elbow, and is so arranged that when the cover plate'is applied the open end of the slot is closedby por tions of the cover plate. 1 r v p p In practicing the present invention, to compensate for the'a'dditional air resistance provided by the supplementary 2 used which has slightly greater capacity than that which would be employed if the blower was arranged to communicate directly with the blast tube.

Likewise, a delayed action oil switch may be used to compensate for the added length of the air duct system.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings: I

Figure lis a perspective view showing the conversion air duct system of the present invention connected at one end to the blast tube. and at the other end to the blower, motor and control unit.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing an embodiment of this invention Where a single pipe is used between the blast tube and the motor and blower unit.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the two part elbow of the present invention attached to air ducts, portions of the elbow being broken away to show the interlocking engagement of the two parts of the elbow.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the two parts of the elbow separated.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View to illustrate the shape of the cover plate of the elbow.

Inadapting coal burning furnaces for the use of fuel oil, it is customaryto seal up the ashpit doorway and to insert into the ashpit a blast tube 10 carrying the fuel pipe and usually the fuel nozzle and also carrying the ignition Wires leading to a spark plug'or other means for igniting the fuel. Ordinarily, a unit, such as the unit 11 which has an electric motor 12, ablower 13, control box 14, and other appliances used with oil burners, is connected to the outer end of the blast tube and suitably supported on'the floor of a cellar or other place in which the furnace is located. In many places after a heavy rain storm, due to the poor run-off and particularly at the seashore after an abnormally high tide, water enters the cellar in suflicient quantity to submerge the unit 11. After the water recedes, the motor and transformer are usually damaged beyond repair. The rest of the unit has to be cleaned and dried before it can be again used. This is not only costly but delays the time when the furnace can again be'used, causing great inconvenience and frequently other difiiculties.

To avoid such damage and prolonged inactivity of the oil burner, the present invention provides a supplementary air duct system for oil burners whereby the motor and electrical apparatus and contols may be elevated substantially above the floor level, thus avoiding the submersion of these electrical parts, except when the rise of water in elbow and extends horizontally therefrom. Connected to air system of the present invention, a blower may be the pipe 18 is a similar elbow 15a, pipe 18 being received within the collar 16. The collar 17 of the elbow 15a receives a pipe 19 extending vertically from the elbow 15a and the upper end of the pipe 19 is received in a collar 20 carried by the unitll.

,l To support the unit 11, a stanchion 21 mounted on a base 22 is secured to the casing of the unit. To steady the supplementary air duct system and support its weight, a pipe strap 23 may be clamped to the collar 17 of the elbow 15a and to the stanchion 21.

I Where conditions permit, it may be desirable to omit the pipe 18 and the elbow 15a for, as shown in Fig. 2, the elbow 15 is connected directly to the pipe 19 which is connected to the motor and blower unit 11. Either in the caseshown in Fig. l or in that shown in Fig. -2 the air duct system extends upwardly and away from the 3 blast tube to elevate the motor and accessories carried by the unit 11 to a height where it is not likely to be submerged by water entering the cellar.

In addition to acting to conduct air to the blast tube, the pipes 18 and 19 and the elbows and 15a carry ignition wires 24 from the unit 11 to the spark plug or other ignition means in the blast tube 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the wires 24 are usually held in spaced relation by insulating members 25 located within the pipes. In making up the unit therefore, it is necessary to thread the wires 24 through the pipes and through the insulators.

To permit this to be done conveniently and also to give access to the blast tube and pipes 18 and 19 for any purpose, the elbow or elbows, as the case may be, are made in two partsa main part 26 carrying the collars 16 and 17. The part 26 has an opening 27 which is so large and so positioned as to have portions forming an extension of the bores of the collars 16 and 17. The opening 27 actually forms a hand-hole through which a persons hand and part of the arm can be inserted into the blast tube and the pipe 18 in the case of the elbow 15 and the pipes 18 and 19 in the case of the elbow 15a to thread the ignition wires 24, position the insulators 25, or perform other operations in the blast tube and pipes. The other part of the elbow comprises a cover plate 28 which closes the opening 27.

The main part 26 and the cover plate 28 of the elbow has overlapping edge portions which not only act to prevent escape of air through their adjoining portions but also serve to locate and interlock the two parts together. For this purpose the part 26, as shown, has inset flanges 29 projecting from the edges 30 which engage the companion undercut edges 31 of the cover plate. At its end adjacent the collar 16, the cover plate has an inset flange 33 engaging the undercut edge 34 of the part 26.

So that the elbow and cover plate may be conveniently cast, the division between the two parts is along a medial line diametrically through the elbow and following the curve thereof, the cover plate being curved transversely on a radius substantially equal to that of the collars and curved longitudinally to form an are extending at the collar portions 16 and 17.

To assemble the cover plate 23 on the part 26, the cover plate is placed over the opening 27 and is slid toward the collar 16 causing the insert flange 33 to underlie the undercut edge 34 of the collar 16. The flange 29 will then be engaged by the undercut edges 31 on the cover. Then one or more screws 35 may be placed in threaded holes 36 in the part 26 and tightened so that heads 37 overlap the edge of the cover plate and secures it in position.

To facilitate the entrance of the fuel pipe into the blast tube, the parting line of the main part 26 and the cover plate 28 may be provided with a slot to receive the fuel pipe, or a fitting in the fuel line, before the cover is applied. In the form of the invention shown, this is accomplished by providing a slot 38 in the collar portion 16 opening into the space 27 and this slot is closed when the cover plate is secured in position.

To aid in interlocking the cover and main part of the elbow, the cover may have a tapered lug 39 to slidingly fit into the slot 38.

Preferably, there are two slots 38 located at opposite sides of the collar 16, and two lugs 39 on the cover 28, so that the fuel pipe or fitting 49 may be inserted into either the bottom or the top of the elbow both when the collar bends to the right or to the left of the blast tube as installed.

So that the slot 38 which is not used, in the case of the elbow 15, and both slots 38 in the case of the elbow 15a may be closed against air passage, the lugs 39 on the cover plate each has an extension 41 which fills the slot. When the fuel line of fitting is to be placed in a slot 38, the extension 40 of the lug therefor is broken or cut 4 off. The collars 16 and 17 have shoulders 43 acting as stops for the pipes, and they may, as shown, be provided with set screws 42 for securing the pipes to the collars.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. An air duct unit for oil burners of the type having a blast tube, a blower unit and air ducts between them, said unit comprising a elbow divided along a line including the midpoints of the side walls throughout the curved portion into inner and outer parts, the inner part having on each end beyond the outer part a cylindrical tubular portion provided with means to form a pipereceiving collar, the outer part extending for the full curved portion of the unit from collar to collar and having edge portions overlapping the cooperating edges of the inner part to completely seal the unit against the escape of air and being completely removable from the inner part to provide an opening substantially coextensive with the bores of the collars, one end of said outer part having an elongate, tapered projection extending axially of the collar beyond the overlapped portions and the adjacent collar having a complementary recess to receive said projection to guide said parts and hold them in assembled relation; and means for securing said inner and outer parts together.

2. An air duct unit for oil burners of the type having a blast tube, a blower unit and air ducts between them, said unit comprising a 90 elbow divided along a line including the midpoints of the side walls throughout the curved portion into inner and outer parts, the inner part having on each end beyond the outer part a cylindrical tubular portion provided with means to form a pipe-receiving collar, the outer part extending for the full curved portion of the unit from collar to collar and having outer flanges on the sides and one end edge to cooperate with recessed edges of the inner part and having at the other end an inner flange extending under an outer flange on the inner part to interlock therewith to completely seal the unit against the escape of air and being completely removable from the inner part to provide an opening substantially coextensive with the bores of the collars, said other end of said outer part having a projection at each side thereof extending therefrom beyond said inner flange in the direction of the collar and the adjacent collar having complementary slots to receive said projections to guide said parts and hold them in assembled relation; and means for securing said inner and outer parts together.

3. In an oil burner assembly comprising an elevated motor and blower unit, a blast tube adapted to extend horizontally into the ashpit of a furnace and duct means extending downwardly and inwardly and connecting the blower unit and blast tube, and a fuel line and ignition means carried by the blast tube, said duct means including a 90 elbow divided. along a line including the midpoints of the side walls throughout the curved portion into inner and outer parts, the inner part having on each end beyond the outer part a cylindrical tubular portion provided with means to form a pipe-receiving collar, the outer part extending for the full curved portion of the unit from collar to collar and having outer flanges on the side and one end edge to cooperate with recessed edges of the inner part and having at the other end an inner flange extending under an outer flange on the inner part to interlock therewith to completely seal the unit and being completely removable from the inner part to provide an opening substantially coextensive with the bores of the collars, said other end of said outer part having a projection extending axially of the collar beyond said inner flange and the inner part having a complementary slot to receive said projection to guide said parts and hold them in assembled relation, the end portion of said projection being adapted to be readily removed whereby a feed line fitting may be mounted in said recess; and means for securing said inner and outer parts together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Newman May 14, 1895 Cranston Dec. 10, 1907 Poppenhusen et a1 Aug. 21, 1917 Darley Dec. 23, 1924 Hochman et a1 Aug. 11, 1925 

